


King Lyncus

by orphan_account



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 09:39:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1144446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	King Lyncus

Things didn't appear out of thin air in Eleusis, Oklahoma, not back in 1933.  Things hadn't appeared there in months.  The population was only 200 people, and most people had fled for cleaner skies elsewhere in all directions: California, Canada, the East Coast.  The only person in the town was Triptolemus Celeus, or "Trip" for short.  But there was a reason why Trip was still there. 

Years ago, an old woman came to town.  She called herself "Doso."  Doso was looking for her daughter.  Someone had kidnapped her, but the woman didn't know _where._ She found her way to the house of King Celeus, the mayor of Eleusis, and his wife, Metanira.  Between Trip and his brother, Demophon, Trip was the luckier of the two.  Doso suckled Trip, who was near death, and, according to local legend, he became a man that same day.  Metanira thought her son was a guest of Doso's and let him be, not realizing the young man was her son.

Demophon wasn't so lucky.  While Trip obeyed Doso's orders and kept quiet while his brother was sitting on the hearth in King's living room, his mortal soul burning away, Metanira walked in to the living room to see Demophon on the fire.  And she screamed. 

Doso was actually the spirit known as Demeter.  Demeter was said to make the things on the earth grow.  Few people saw her, but most farmers in rural counties were convinced she existed.  Metanira was one of those people that knew Demeter existed after seeing Trip become a man in a day and Demophon perish in the hearth fire.

Metanira pleaded for Demeter to spare her son.  Demeter agreed, as long as Demeter was allowed to collect the man to teach him the arts of agriculture when the time came.

And that was why Trip was still in the ghost town of Eleusis, even as his parents fled for California after the town's collapse: holding his promise, making sure he wouldn't miss Demeter.

Trip read the news from the _Oklahoman_ that the Agricultural Adjustment Act had passed.  He read the article and then packed his few possessions from his childhood home.

When Trip saw Demeter and Persephone in Demeter's green Duesenberg Model J, a vehicle she proudly called "The Dragon," floating on to what was Eleusis' main street he knew the time had come. 

 

Demeter had business in New York with her relatives, the Theoi, so Demeter dropped Trip off in Scythia, North Carolina, with the instruction of teaching the mayor how to farm.

Scythia was almost a ghost town like Eleusis.  Because it was the East Coast, it wasn't as dusty as Eleusis.  That and the town's population of 75 people were its only redeeming points.   

The mayor of Scythia was also a King like Trip's father, but his last name was Lyncus.  Lyncus knew everyone in Scythia, so when he saw Trip walk up to the door in overalls and a derby, he knew something was off.

Trip rang the doorbell.  Lyncus answered it. 

"You King Lyncus?" Trip asked.

"Yes, I am, boy."

"I'm Trip.  Under the orders of the US Government and my patron, Demeter Olympios, I'm here to teach you how to farm under the Agricultural Adjustment Act so you can teach your town how to farm under it.  In return, the government will pay you."

Lyncus stared at Trip.  "You know _the_ Demeter Olympios."

"She breastfed me herself, sir."

Lyncus laughed.  "Oh, I gotta hear this one.  Come in.  I want to learn how you're going to teach me how to farm."


End file.
